In 1992, the world didn't really know Mark Wahlberg as an Oscar-nominated actor or a business mogul with a burger chain. He was "Marky Mark," a white rapper from Boston with a penchant for dropping his pants on stage. Then came the Mark Wahlberg Calvin Klein ad, and suddenly, the "funky bunch" wasn't the headline anymore. It was the abs. And the attitude. And, eventually, the controversy that followed for decades.
It’s easy to look back at those black-and-white photos today and see them as just another vintage fashion moment. But at the time? They were a cultural earthquake.
The Shoot That Changed Everything (And Broke Kate Moss)
The campaign was shot by the legendary Herb Ritts. It paired a 21-year-old Wahlberg with a then-unknown 17-year-old British model named Kate Moss. On paper, it was marketing genius. In reality, it was a nightmare for one of the stars.
Kate Moss has been incredibly vocal lately about how much she hated that shoot. She told the Desert Island Discs podcast that she felt "vulnerable and scared." Imagine being a teenager, pressured to go topless and straddle a guy who—by all accounts—was playing up his "macho" persona to the extreme.
Wahlberg had a massive entourage. He was "rough around the edges," as he later admitted to The Guardian. Moss, meanwhile, was struggling with the pressure. She actually suffered a nervous breakdown afterward and couldn't get out of bed for two weeks. It's a dark side to the "glamorous" world of 90s fashion that people usually gloss over.
That Famous Crotch Grab
You can't talk about the Mark Wahlberg Calvin Klein ad without mentioning the video spots. In one particularly famous clip, Mark stares at the camera and says, "The best protection against AIDS is to keep your Calvins on."
It was a weird mix of public service announcement and blatant sex appeal.
The most iconic image, though, wasn't a scripted line. It was Wahlberg’s improvised move: the crotch grab. It became the defining gesture of the campaign. Calvin Klein himself once mentioned that the brand’s underwear business grew exponentially after these ads hit. People weren't just buying boxers; they were buying the "Marky Mark" swagger.
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Why the chemistry felt "off"
- Personality Clash: Mark was a loud, braggadocious rapper; Kate was a quiet "waif" from Croydon.
- Age Gap: He was 21, she was 17—a minor at the time of the shoot.
- The Entourage: Mark’s crew reportedly made the set feel crowded and intimidating for Moss.
Honestly, they didn't even like each other. Klein told Marc Jacobs in 2013 that the two "couldn't stand each other." Moss has gone on record saying Mark was a "d**khead" during the shoot. Mark, for his part, told Nuts magazine years ago that he wasn't really into the "waif thing" and thought she looked like his nephew. Charming, right?
The Legacy of the "Marky Mark" Era
Despite the friction, the impact was undeniable. This campaign essentially invented the modern celebrity underwear endorsement. Before this, you had athletes, sure. But Wahlberg brought a "bad boy" energy that turned $10 cotton briefs into a status symbol.
He eventually moved on, of course. He spent years trying to distance himself from the "Marky Mark" persona to be taken seriously in Hollywood. He even told the Daily Mail that the ads were one of the most embarrassing moments of his life, especially when he has to explain them to his kids.
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But even in 2026, every time a new star like Jeremy Allen White or Justin Bieber strips down for CK, the ghost of 1992 is right there.
What We Can Learn From the 1992 Campaign
Looking back, the Mark Wahlberg Calvin Klein ad is a case study in how "sex sells" can be a double-edged sword. It built two massive careers and saved a brand, but it also left behind a trail of "severe anxiety" and professional regret.
If you're looking for the actionable takeaway here, it's about the shift in industry standards. In the 90s, the "vulnerability" of a minor was seen as a marketing asset. Today? That’s a PR disaster and a legal liability.
To really understand the history of fashion photography, you have to look past the beautiful monochrome lighting and see the power dynamics on set. The Wahlberg/Moss era was the peak of "heroin chic" and aggressive masculinity, a combination that wouldn't—and shouldn't—fly in today's landscape.
Take a closer look at the Herb Ritts archive if you want to see how lighting and composition were used to mask the tension on that set. It’s a masterclass in making discomfort look like high art. You might also want to read Kate Moss's full 2012 Vanity Fair interview to get her side of the story without the "fashion industry" filter.